Folding chair



May 13, 1941. w HANLEY I 2,241,881

FOLDING CHAIR Filed July 29, 1939 INVENTOR Wow ATTORNEY-5 Patented May 13, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE FOLDING CHAIR William Hanley, East Orange, N. 51, assignor to Ferguson Brothers Manufacturing Company, Hoboken, N. J., a corporation of New- Jersey Application July 29, 1939, Serial No. 287,326

7 Claims.

rear where the seat is hinged to the frame constituting the back rest and rear legs, but which is actuated or operated by manipulation of an element located adjacent the front of the seat.

Another object consists in providing mechanish for locking the chair in unfolded or usable position, which includes a minimum of elements located adjacent the front of the seat member.

A further object consists, in providing certain improvements in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, whereby the above named and other objects may effectively be attained.

A practical embodiment. of the invention is represented in. the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a vertical section, from front to rear, of a chair in its unfolded position ready for use;

Fig. 2 represents a similar view showing the chair in folded position;

Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section taken in the plane of the line IIIIII of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the. arrows;

Fig. 4 represents an enlarged detail section of one of the locking and unlocking means at the rear of the seat, the unlocking means also being shown in dotted outline releasing the locking bar from its notch; and

Fig. 5 represents a vertical section. taken in the plane of the line V-V of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Folding chairs of the class to which this invention is primarily directed are commonly produced in large numbers and marketed at fairly low prices. Consequently, it is of major importance to incorporate mechanism which permits ready folding of the chair into unused position and unfolding and locking. in usuable position, which mechanism is comparatively simple in form and economical to produce though effective and, strong in" its action. In other words,

it is a cardinal object to provide a structure which may be manufactured and marketed at a low figure. while embodying rigidity and insur-- ance against failure in use, accompanied by good appearance and ease of manipulation.

It is a well known fact that occupants'of these chairs frequently take hold of the seat portion adjacent the front corners thereof and habitually move the chairs backwardly, forwardly, and

sideways, and it is important to so construct and arrange the parts that such normal activity of an occupant, whether intentional or inadvertent,

shall not lead to any failure of the locking mechanism that might bring about collapse of the chair, or partial collapse thereof,with liability of bodily injury.- Again, rigidity of the chair legs, seat, and back rest, when in use, is important for the physical and mental comfort of. the occupant andfor the avoidance of squeaking and lost motion. These objections, and other which might be stated, are attained in the present in.

vention without sacrificeof simplicity and. economy in structure or case of manipulation.

Turning now to the, embodiment of the in.- vention which is disclosed in the drawing, it should be stated that, as the elements of the mechanism are duplicated, at, oppositev sides of the chair, it is deemed sufficient to givea detailed description of one side only.

They chair includes a combined back rest and rear leg framework consisting of side members, one of which is marked I, and crossv members 2, 3, 4. The cross members 2 and 3 may, if desired, be connected by a suitable back supporting element 5 which may be ornamental or otherwise. The inside face of each side member is provided with a recess 9, which recess is covered by a plate I that is secured in positionby a screw 8. Each plate is provided with a vertically dis-, posed slot 9 that receives anend of a locking bar in which extends from the side member I to its mate. A retractile coilv spring II is housed in recess 6 and is secured to'the extremity of locking bar Ill and to a tongue l2 that is formed by punching inwardly a portion of plate 1.

As a result of the construction just described, it will be clear that looking bar I0 is normally held at the upper end of slot 9 by spring ll,

though the bar is free to be moved downwardly in the said slot when force is applied to the bar against the retractile tendency of the spring.

The seat includes side members l3, M, a back member 15, a front member 16, a cushion support IT, and a cushion I8. The side members and front member are secured together in any appropriate manner as, for instance, by an adhesive and metallic splice fasteners; the back member is secured to the underside of the seat support by screws, one of which is marked l9; and the seat support is secured to the top of the side members and front member by screws marked 23. Y

An L-shaped plate, denoted by 2|, is fixed to the rear inside portion of each side member I3, it, by screws 22, 23, and its upwardly protruding end is fastened to the back rest frame member I by a pivot pin 2 so that the seat is thereby pivoted to swing into folded position substantially parallel with the back rest, or into unfolded position substantially at right angles thereto.

The said L-shaped plate 2| has a notch 25 formed in its lower edge near the angle point of the L, which notch is fitted for cooperative en gagement with the locking bar I!) when the seat is in unfolded position so as to lock it in said position for use. The said angle point of the L plate is slightly rounded or cammed, as shown at 26 in the drawings, and it serves the purpose of depressing'the locking bar Hi against the tension of its spring H, as the seat is swung toward open position. Continued swinging of the seat brings the notch 25 into alignment with the locking bar HI whereupon the latter is forced by the spring into-the said notch.

Means is provided for dislodging the locking bar ID from the notch 25, which means includes a dog 2'! that is pivotally secured through L plate 2] into the seat side memberlt by a screw 28. ..A washer .29 is preferably interposed between the head of the last named screw and the dog in order to provide a more extended bearing forholding the dog in parallel relationship with the Lplate. The dog is substantially triangular in.shape, as clearly shown in .the drawing, and is ,so positioned with respect to the notch 25 that its extremity furthest away from the screw 23 may be swung so as to cover or uncover the notch, whereby it may be moved by the spring actuated locking bar l so as to permit the lattel to enter the said notch, and may also. be

moved by mechanism about to be described, so

as to force the locking bar out of the notch.

An actuating rod 30 is provided for operating the dog 27, and has one end bent, passed through a perforation in the-dog, and riveted therein. The other end of thev said actuating rod is secured to a cross head 3| by being passed through a perforation therein and bent or otherwise made fast. The said cross head 3| is located along the inner side of the seat front member I6 and-spaced substantially centrally with re-v spect to the seat side members [3, M. A pair of headed pins 32, 33, which traverse openings 3 35, near the extremities of cross head at, fix the latter in place and permit it to havea limited sliding :movement toward and away from the seatfrontmember l5. g

From theforegoing description it will be seen that, when-the chair is in open or usable position,'and the'locking bar I9 is engaged in the notchiz5 manual pressure upon the cross head 3| to'urgeit toward the seat front member It will cause the actuating rod 30 to swing the dog 2'! aroundits pivot screw 28 so as to force the extremity of the dog to move the-locking bar lfl out ofthe said notch and permit the seat to be folded upwardly into substantial parallelism with the, back rest, Astop pin 36 is located so as to limit the movement of the dog under the influence of manipulation of the cross head just described; and, if desired, one or more expansion springs may be located between the cross head 3! and the seat front member [6 in order yieldingly to hold the cross head at the outer ends of its supporting pins 32, 33; but such springs are not necessary because, when the looking bar I!) is engaged in the notch 25, its spring Ii will bear upon the edge of the dog 21, and, through the actuating rod 39, pull the cross head 3! to a position toward the outer ends of its supporting pins.

The front legs of the chair are denoted by 3'1, 38 and they may be spaced by cross braces 39, 4B, the latter of which is connected to rear cross member 3 by tie braces, one of which is marked 31. An angle plate 32 is fixed to the upper portion of the front leg 31 by screws 43 and the protruding extremity of said angle plate is pivoted to the seat side member I 3 by screw 44. A notch 65 is fashioned in the upper edge of said angle plate for cooperation with a headed pin 46 that is set into the inner surface of the seat side member l3 near the seat front member l6, when the front legs are in extended or unfolded position.

The operation of the chair will probably be clear from the foregoing description, but it may be said that, when the parts are in folded position as shown, for instance, in Fig. 2 of the drawing, it is merely necessary to seize the upper part of the back rest and the front part of the seat and pull the same away until the fully unfolded or usable position has been reached, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Indeed, this unfolding may be accomplished by merely holding the chair by the upper part of the back rest and shaking it downwardly, which motion will snap the parts into unfolded position with the locking bar I!) engaged in the notch 25. When it is desired to fold the chair, the cross head 3! maybe manually grasped and moved toward the seat front member I 6, which motion will, through the actuating rod 30, swing the dog 27 so as to force. the looking bar In out of the notch 25 against the tension of spring I l. As soon as the locking bar has cleared the said notch, the chair may be folded by swinging the front of the seat toward the top of the back rest. This movement, which brings the seat into substantial parallelism with the back rest, will also swing the front legs rear- Wardly because of their connection with the rear cross member 4 through cross brace 40 and tie brace ll, and will serve to bring the front legsand the said tie brace also into approximate parallel position with respect to the back rest and rear legs, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. It may be mentioned that the locking bar l0 could be'removed from the notch 25 by manually seizing the bar and moving it downwardly, but it is decidedly preferable to provide the connections to the cross head 3| so that the latter may be grasped by the operator with the same hand rear Where the seat is hinged to the back rest keeps it almost wholly away from the grasp of the occupant. Furthermore, the construction of the locking mechanism is such that the weight of the occupant on any part of the seat of the chairtends to maintain the locking effect, and the provision of strong direct'connecting springs, which are easily housed in the rear fralne members, insures the positive engagement of the looking bar with its notches until it is dislodged therefrom by a definite and intentional movement of the cross head. The various parts of the actuating mechanism may preferably be produced from stamped metal.

As noted near the outset of this description, the mechanical parts are duplicated, in th main, at each side of the chair; so that, while details are mainly referred to in the singular, they exist in double, and should be so considered.

It will be understood that various changes may be resorted to in the form, construction, material and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention; and hence I do not intend to be limited to the details herein shown and described except as they may be included in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A folding chair comprising, a back frame, a seat pivoted thereto, front legs pivoted to the seat and connected to the back frame, and mechanism permitting the seat and front legs to be folded into substantial parallelism with the back frame and for locking the seat and front legs in unfolded usable position, said mechanism including a locking bar carried by the back frame, cooperating notches formed in the seat for movement into and out of coincidence With the locking bar as the seat is swung to and from unfolded usable position, yielding means for forcing the locking bar into engagement with the notches when the seat is unfolded to usable position, and means carried by the seat for moving the looking bar out of engagement with the notches when it is desired to fold the chair.

2. A folding chair comprising, a back frame, a seat pivoted thereto, front legs pivoted to the seat and connected to the back frame, and mechanism permitting the seat and front legs to be folded into substantial parallelism with the back frame and for locking the seat and front legs in unfolded usable position, said mechanism including a locking bar carried by the back frame, cooperating notches formed in th seat for movement into and out of coincidence with the locking bar as the seat is swung to and from unfolded usable position, yielding means for forcing the locking bar into engagement with the notches when the seat is unfolded to usable position, and means carried by the seat for moving the locking bar out of engagement with the notches when it is desired to fold the chair, said last named means being manually operated through means located near the front of the seat.

3. A folding chair comprising, a back frame, a seat pivoted thereto, front legs pivoted to the seat and connected to the back frame, and mechanism permitting the seat and front legs to be folded into substantial parallelism with the back frame and for locking the seat and front legs in unfolded usable position, said mechaninsm including a locking bar carried by the back frame, cooperating notches formed in the seat for movement into and out of coincidence with the looking bar as the seat is swung to and from unfolded usable position, yielding means for forcing the locking bar into engagement with the notches when the seat is unfolded to usable position, and means carried by the seat for moving the locking bar out of engagement with th notcheswhen it is desired to fold the chair, said last named means being manually operated through means located near the front of the seat and spaced substantially from the sides of the seat.

l. A folding chair comprising, a back frame, a seat pivoted thereto, front legs pivoted to the seat. and connected to the back frame, and mechanism permitting the seat and front legs to be folded into substantial parallelism with the back frame and for locking the seat and front legs in unfolded usable position, said mechanism including a locking bar having its ends housed in the back frame below the point at which the seat is pivoted thereto, resilient means housed in the back frame for urging the locking bar upwardly, plates for pivotally connecting the seat to the back frame, notches formed in the lower edges of said plates, and cam portions on said plates adjacent the notches, whereby, when the seat is swung to open usable position, said cam portions on said plates will contact and depress the looking bar until the notches are brought into coincidence with the bar, whereupon said resilient means will force the locking bar into engagement with the notches, and means carried by said plates for moving the locking bar out of engagement with the notches.

5. A folding chair comprising, a back frame, a seat pivoted thereto, front legs pivoted to the seat and connected to the back frame, and mechanism permitting the seat and front legs to be folded into substantial parallelism with the back frame and for locking the seat and front legs in unfolded usable position, said mechanism including a locking bar having its ends housed in the back frame below the point at which the seat is pivoted thereto, resilient means housed in the back frame for urging the locking bar upwardly, plates for pivotally connecting the seat to the back frame, notches formed in the lower edges of said plates, and cam portions on said plates adjacent the notches, whereby, when the seat is swung to open usable position, said cam portions on said plates will contact and depress the locking bar until the notches are brought into coincidence with the bar, whereupon said resilient means will force the locking bar into engagement with the notches, and means carried by said plates for moving the locking bar out of engagement with the notches, said last named means being manually operated through means located near the front of the seat.

6. A folding chair comprising, a back frame, a seat pivoted thereto, front legs pivoted to the seat and connected to the back frame, and mechanism permitting the seat and front legs to be folded into substantial parallelism with the back frame and for locking the seat and front legs in unfolded usable position, said mechanism including a locking bar having its ends housed in the back frame below the point at which the seat is pivoted thereto, resilient means housed in the back frame for urging the locking bar upwardly, plates for pivotally connecting the seat to the back frame, notches formed in the lower edges of said plates, and cam portions on said plates adjacent the notches, whereby, when the seat is swung to open usable position, said cam portions on said plates will contact and depress the looking bar until the notches are brought into coincidence with the bar, whereupon said resilient means will force the locking bar into engagement with the notches, and pivoted members carried by said plates for moving the locking bar out of engagement, with the notches.

7. A folding chair comprising, a back frame, a seat pivoted thereto, front legs pivoted to the seat and connected to the back frame, and mechanism permitting the seat and front legs to be folded into substantial parallelism with the back frame and for locking the seat and front legs in unfolded usable position,'said mechanism including a locking bar having its ends housed in the back frame below the point at which the seat is pivoted thereto, resilient means housed in the back frame for urging the locking bar upwardly, plates for pivotally connecting the seat to the back frame, notches formed in the lower edges of said plates, and cam portions on said plates adjacent the notches, whereby, when the seat is swung to open usable position, said cam portions on said plates will contact and depress the looking bar until the notches are brought into coin cidence with the bar, whereupon said resilient means will force the locking bar into engagement with the notches, and pivoted members carried by said plates for moving the locking bar out of engagement with the notches, said pivoted members being arranged to cover said notches when the seat and front legs are not in unfolded, usable position and automatically to be moved by said resilient means so as to uncover said notches when the seat and front legs are in unfolded usable position.

WILLIAM HANLEY. 

